Yoke



H. J. LOUNSBURY.

APPLICATION F SEIE APR. 3. I919. I 1,355,987. Patented Oct. 19, 1920. Fig. 1

I, INVENTOR. WITNESSES.- .Ezn/eyJLauwbzuy W ,dQATTORN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. MINER, OF CHAZY, NEW YORK.

YOKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed April 3,1919. Serial No. 287,293. V

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Yokes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in yokes.

he object of the invention is to provide a yoke which -is readily detachable from standard draw bars of railway draft riggings and wherein provision is made for a radial or swivel action of the draw bar with respect to the yoke.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a part vertical sectional view, part side elevation, of a yoke embodying my improvements. Fi 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1. And Fig. 4 is a detail perspective showing the details of the cooperating bearing surfaces of the strap and head, which together form my improved yoke.

In said drawing, the improved yoke is shown as comprising a head A and a yoke proper or strap designated generally by the reference B. The head A is of hollow substantially rectangular form and has upper and lower horizontal walls 10-10 and vertical side walls 1111. The latter are-provided with forward extensions or wings 12, slotted, as indicated at 13, to receive a cou-.

pler key by which the head may be detachlower edges 15-15 which diverge from the front en s of the head to levels in alinement with the upper and lower walls of the head, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Each of the upper and lower walls 10 is provided, on its front edge, with an arcuate bearing surface 16, which extends from side to side of the head, thereby providing a maximum wearing and bearin surface.

The yoke proper or strap is shown as formed in two parts, designated 17-l7. Each of these parts providesa horizontal arm 18 of the strap and a'half, 19, of-the rear connecting portion of the strap. The

' two parts are rigidly united in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by employing the vided with anenlarged head 24. Each head 24 corresponds in width substantially to the width of the head A and the same are also thickened vertically, as indicated in Fig. 1, so as to provide an arcuate bearing surface 25 cooperable with the corresponding arcuate bearing surface 16 of the head. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the width horizontally of the arms 18 is considerably less than the interior width of the head A, so that a free and easy relative radial movement between the head A and strap B is permitted. Because of the offsets 23 in the strap B, upper and lower shoulders will be formed, as indicated at 26--26, which are cated at 23, and, at its extreme end, is proto effectively prevent rearward movement of the head A with respect to the strap B. To provide more clearance during the relative radial movements of the head-A and strap B, the inner faces of the side walls of the head A may be cut away at an angle, as indicated at 27-27 in the planes of the offset portions 23 of the strap B.

As will be seen from an inspection of Figs.

2 and 4, the widened ends 24 of the arms of the yoke strap overlie the. edges 15 of the wings of the head A and beardirectly thereon. With this construction, it is evident that the front ends of the arms of the yoke strap will always be held in their maximum separated condition and cannot possibly come together and thereby permit accidental disengagement of the cooperating bearing portions of the strap B and head A.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, thearms of the strap B are spaced apart rearwardly of the head A a greater distance than within the head A in order 'to accommodate the follower C and associated parts of the shock absorbing mechanism proper.

The parts are assembled as follows: Before the two members 17 of the strap B are connected, they are inserted within the head A from the front thereof, this being necessary on account of the widened ends 24;, which would not permit their insertion from the rear end of the head A. After the two parts 17 have been thus assembled with the head A, their rear ends 19 are united in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and hereinbefore described.

lVith the arrangement shown, I obtain the maximum radial bearing surfaces between the strap B and the head A, while, at the same time, permitting the necessary easy radial action. This is a distinct advantage over certain types of yokes heretofore made. wherein, on account of the relatively small bearing areas between the strap and head. frequent shearing of the bearing lugs or bosses or gibs on the strap has occurred.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a yoke for railway draft riggings comprising, a hollow substantially rectangular head, and a yoke strap, the forward ends of the arms of the yoke strap being extended within the head and provided with enlargements of greater width than the interior width of the head, said enlargements and the upper and lower walls of the head having shouldered engagements, the arms of the yoke strap being upwardly and downwardly offset at the rear of the head and thereby providing shoulders cooperable with the rear edges of the upper and lower walls of the head to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the head and yoke strap, the arms of the yoke strap being separately formed and rigidly united.

2. As an article of manufacture, a yoke for railway draft riggings comprising, a hollow substantially rectangular head, and a yoke strap having upper and lower arms, said arms of the yoke strap being separately formed and rigidly united at their rear ends, the forward ends of the yoke arms being inwardly offset and passing within the head, said ends of the yoke strap having enlargements provided on their rear faces with curved bearing surfaces, the forward edges of the upper and lower walls of the head being provided with cooperating curved bearing surfaces.

3. As an article of manufacture, a yoke for railway draft riggings comprising, a hollow substantially rectangular head, and a U-shaped yoke strap having upper and lower substantially parallelly arranged arms, the forward ends of said yoke arms being inwardly off-set and passing within the head, the extreme outer ends of the arms of the yoke strap being laterally extended and provided on their rear faces with hearing surfaces cooperating with the forward edges of the upper and lower walls of the head, said ofi'sets of the yoke arms being so located as to form upper and lower outer shoulders thereon in proximity to the rear edges of said upper and lower walls of the head and cooperable with the latter to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the head and yoke strap.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of March, 1919.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY. 

